This week's news
On the very first day of the Wimbledon tennis championships we see one of the great heroes of male tennis crash out. We’ll watch more heroes fall over the next two weeks. Great Britain has huge expectations for our own Olympic champion, Andy Murray, to soar to victory.
In the wake of the G8 summit in Northern Ireland, where great expectations rested upon world leaders, especially regarding tax dodging and Syria, what is to be done next? We look to churches and charities to lead us to consider the options. The united organisations’ BIG IF campaign has been very vocal over these past two weeks.
Armed Forces Day falling on June 29, reminds us of those who stand up on our behalf when talks break down and forceful intervention seems to be the only way forward. As we pray for peace, let us also pray for the men and women of the armed forces.
Take a look at those people the world media parade as villains this week: Edward Snowden; Bashar al-Assad; Vladimir Putin; Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Man of Steel, the latest incarnation of Superman story, flew into cinemas two weeks ago to much acclaim. The hero has been reborn for another battle between evil and good. An article by Ben Child in The Guardian, suggests how the advertising campaign for this new rendition of the legend, explicitly compares Superman to Jesus.
Reflection
Man of Steel takes the superhero back to his roots. As a boy he learns he has strange, seemingly superhuman powers; as a man he comes to discover where he is from and why he was sent to earth. His story is the journey taken to discover the hero hidden inside him, to come to terms with the expectations the world places upon him to free them from oppression and to become a symbol of hope for all people. In the light of this, consider how Psalm 16 sings of humanity’s need to be protected and led forward by the one who brings us hope and joy.
Sent to earth by his other-worldly father; to be brought up by an earthly father; to live a life keeping his great powers a secret; to be rejected by those he came to save; to be called upon to give up himself for humanity; to bring to life the hope that lies at the heart of the human spirit. This might be the story of both Superman and Jesus. Interestingly, in 1 Kings 19.19, Elisha actually takes on the mantle/cape of his mentor, the prophet Elijah, as he becomes the latest hero for the people. The path of the Son of Man was never going to be an easy one. In Luke 9.51-62, the Samaritans are among many who reject Jesus. However, more will follow him, including many Samaritans if we look elsewhere in the Gospel.
The obvious point that we often overlook about heroes is that if everything was right with the world we wouldn’t need them. Can we say all is right with the world? The Church often bemoans the fact that people only call on the God they say they believe in when things get really bad. Are we there for our neighbours when things do get bad?
For Paul it is both Moses' Law and the Works of the Flesh (Galatians 5.16-21) which will hold us back and imprison us. Christ is the hero here, who sets us free from restrictive laws and our own weaknesses. What do we need our modern day heroes to teach us about the potential, for both evil and good, that lies within us? To love our neighbour as ourselves, is to follow Jesus’ example and give ourselves up for the sake of others. To live by the Spirit, is to embrace those superhuman fruits of the Spirit.
Prayer
Great God,
immortal, divine,
omnipotent and omnipresent.
To compare your Son, our Saviour,
to the story of a comic book superhero
may seem trite, even blasphemous.
Sorry.
It’s just that sometimes,
in our desperate humanity,
we reach out for something tangible,
for something otherworldly to cling onto.
When a flying storybook hero, in a red cape,
represents the sum of our hope and fears,
remind just how real your Son was...
...is.
We may dream of being superhuman;
of breaking free from the steel cage of our own making, which holds us captive;
of flying away from the lives we lead and soaring through the heavens.
Call us again to freedom.
Free us from our human limitations.
Free us from the desires of the flesh.
(If appropriate, possibly name those from Galatians 5.19-21, or others you may have discussed during your worship.)
Free us from ourselves.
May we live by the Spirit.
Christ has set us free. Amen.
This week you might like to pray for: Nelson Mandela; our Armed Forces; the G8 leaders and governments following the summit.Questions
- As a group exercise, look for for examples of Works of the Flesh in the newspapers this week. Look for evidence of the fruit of the Spirit too, or for where people have ‘loved their neighbour’.
- Superman’s ‘S’ symbol was said by Henry Cavill (the actor who played Superman) to be the third most recognised symbol on the planet. What other symbols/logos inspire us, or represent hope? What is it about them that instills trust?
Action
Take a group to the cinema to see Man of Steel, or watch another superhero movie that has strong contrasts between between good and evil. Alternatively, read the article by Ben Child and watch the trailer for Man of Steel. Explore how Superman’s story echoes that of Jesus. Discuss the qualities of the characters in the film, as well as the examples of good or bad behavior witnessed. How do these seem alongside Paul’s two lists in Galatians 5? Where are there examples of the hero’s behaviour guiding that of others? Is there something akin to life lived by the Spirit?
Some people might say that the Church doesn’t live up to their expectations – it talks the talk, but doesn’t walk the walk. How might your church behave like a hero, following Christ’s example to bring freedom by getting more involved in the BIG IF campaign?
Young People
Many adults might remember Legoland as a contented place. For some time now Lego have been making models based on superheroes, but now there is anger in Legoland. Lego minifigures have changed from when they were launched in 1975. Their smiley yellow faces, which were the norm at first, have been replaced by faces which express anger, anxiety or frustration. Take a look at a selection of Lego minifigure faces, preferably from the superhero range. How do these negative facial expression make us feel?
Use this to begin a sensitive discussion on Paul’s two lists in Galatians 5. Paul says that those who do things on the first list will not inherit the kingdom of God (verses 16-21). How do young people feel about that? What experience do they have of things on the second list, the Fruit of the Spirit (verses 22-25)?
Tim Lowe is a minister of the United Reformed Church, serving three churches in the north west of Coventry. He is particularly interested in forms of visual art as expressions of faith.
Hypertext links to other websites are for the convenience of users only and do not constitute any endorsement or authorisation by ROOTS for Churches Ltd.